---
title: HB 510. Domestic relations; duration of child support for postsecondary education; provide
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb510
cite_as: HB 510, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb510
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb510.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb510/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70483
date: 2025-02-21
status: introduced
corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13
license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
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omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 129
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb510.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 510
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2025-02-19
last_action: House Second Readers
sponsors:
- Derrick Jackson
- Kim Schofield
- Kimberly Alexander
- Viola Davis
- Lydia Glaize
- Imani Barnes
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB510/2025
upstream_id: 1976392
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- child support
- family law
- college costs
- divorce and custody
---
# HB 510. Domestic relations; duration of child support for postsecondary education; provide
## Text
House Bill 510
By: Representatives Jackson of the 68th, Schofield of the 63rd, Alexander of the 66th, Davis
of the 87th, Glaize of the 67th, and others
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Code Section 19-6-15 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to child
support guidelines for determining amount of award, continuation of duty of support, and
duration of support, so as to provide for the duration of child support for postsecondary
education; to provide for related matters; to provide for an effective date and applicability;
to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
Code Section 19-6-15 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to child support
guidelines for determining amount of award, continuation of duty of support, and duration
of support, is amended by revising subsection (e) as follows:
"(e)(1) Duration of child support responsibility. The duty to provide support for a
minor child shall continue until the child reaches the age of majority, dies, marries, or
becomes emancipated, whichever first occurs; provided, however, that, in any temporary,
final, or modified order for child support with respect to any proceeding for divorce,
separate maintenance, legitimacy, or paternity entered on or after July 1, 1992, the court,
in the exercise of sound discretion, may direct either or both parents to provide financial
assistance to a child who has not previously married or become emancipated, who is
enrolled in and attending a secondary school, and who has attained the age of majority
before completing his or her secondary school education, provided that such financial
assistance shall not be required after a child attains 20 years of age. The provisions for
child support provided in this subsection paragraph may be enforced by either parent, by
any nonparent custodian, by a guardian appointed to receive child support for the child
for whose benefit the child support is ordered, or by the child for whose benefit the child
support is ordered.
(2) Duration of child support for postsecondary education. In any temporary, final,
or modified order for child support with respect to any proceeding for divorce, separate
maintenance, legitimacy, or paternity entered on or after July 1, 2025, the court, in the
exercise of sound discretion, may direct either or both parents to provide financial
assistance to a child who is enrolled in and attending a technical school, vocational
school, college, university, or other institution of postsecondary education, provided that
such financial assistance shall not be required after a child attains 24 years of age. The
court shall require verification of such enrollment and attendance. In determining the
amount of such financial assistance, the court shall consider the amount of tuition as well
as additional fees and expenses related to such enrollment and attendance. The
provisions for child support provided in this paragraph may be enforced by either parent,
by any nonparent custodian, by a guardian appointed to receive child support for the child
for whose benefit the child support is ordered, or by the child for whose benefit the child
support is ordered."
SECTION 2.
This Act shall become effective on July 1, 2025, and shall apply to all support orders entered
on or after such date.
SECTION 3.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.
## Summaries written by Georgia Commons
The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the bill. Quote the text, not the summary.
House Bill 510 would let Georgia judges order parents to help pay for a child's college, technical school, or other postsecondary education, with support ending at age 24.
### Plain-language summary
Georgia law already lets judges order child support to continue past age 18 if a child is still in high school, but only until the child turns 20. This bill adds a new, separate option covering education after high school. Under the change, a judge handling a divorce, separation, paternity, or child support case could direct one or both parents to help pay for a child enrolled in a technical school, vocational school, college, university, or other postsecondary program.
That support could not be required after the child turns 24. Judges would have to verify the child's enrollment and attendance, and when setting the amount, would have to weigh tuition along with other related fees and expenses. The new rule would apply to support orders entered on or after July 1, 2025, and either parent, a nonparent custodian, a guardian, or the child could enforce it.
### What it does
- Adds a new provision to Georgia's child support law (O.C.G.A. § 19-6-15) letting judges order parents to pay for a child's postsecondary education.
- Sets the cutoff age for this postsecondary support at 24, separate from the existing age-20 cutoff for high school support.
- Requires the court to verify the child's enrollment and attendance at the technical school, college, or other institution before ordering support.
- Directs judges to factor in tuition plus additional fees and expenses when calculating the support amount.
- Allows either parent, a nonparent custodian, a court-appointed guardian, or the child themselves to enforce this postsecondary support provision.
- Applies the new rule to child support orders entered on or after July 1, 2025.
### Who it affects
Divorced or separated parents involved in child support cases, judges who set support orders, young adults enrolled in technical schools, colleges, or universities who could receive support until age 24, and nonparent custodians or guardians who may enforce these orders on a child's behalf.
### Why it matters
Families going through divorce, paternity, or child support proceedings could see judges order continued financial help for college or trade school costs, extending support obligations years beyond the current age-20 limit for high school. This could change monthly payments and household budgets for both paying and receiving parents.
### Key provisions
- Section 1 revises O.C.G.A. § 19-6-15(e), splitting existing high school support rules into paragraph (1) and adding a new paragraph (2) for postsecondary education support.
- New paragraph (2) lets courts order support for a child attending a technical school, vocational school, college, university, or other postsecondary institution.
- Support under the new provision cannot be required after the child turns 24 years old.
- Courts must require verification of the child's enrollment and attendance before ordering this support.
- Courts must consider tuition, fees, and related expenses when determining the amount of support.
- Section 2 sets the effective date as July 1, 2025, applying to all support orders entered on or after that date.
- Section 3 repeals any conflicting laws.
## Status
- Status: Introduced (2025-02-19)
- Last action: House Second Readers (2025-02-21)
- Sponsors: Derrick Jackson, Kim Schofield, Kimberly Alexander, Viola Davis, Lydia Glaize, Imani Barnes
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70483
> The history, votes, and amendments (129 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb510.md?full=1